|
 |
  
|
  he
Philadelphia Police Department is responsible for protecting Philadelphia's
citizens, detecting crime, regulating traffic, and dealing with
a variety of neighborhood problems.
The Internal Affairs Bureau was established for the purpose of
investigating allegations of improper conduct by members of the
Department. Upon receipt of a citizen complaint every effort is
made to ensure a thorough, fair and timely investigation of the
allegation(s) contained in the complaint.
In most instances, we believe Philadelphia Police officers work
in partnership with citizens and that our contacts with citizens
are positive. To insure we function efficiently while maintaining
the rights of the citizens we protect, Philadelphia Police Officers
are trained to follow a series of policies and procedures, and
work within the guidelines of local, state, and federal laws.
Because of the nature of law enforcement, we also understand that
citizens on occasion may object to the actions of the police,
or may feel their conduct is inappropriate. Therefore, we have
established procedures for citizens to report their concerns to
the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Internal Affairs Mission Statement
The Mission of the Internal Affairs Bureau is to protect the public,
the employee and the Department through fair, thorough and proactive
investigations of alleged misconduct. This mission is intended
to accomplish three objectives:
PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC by identifying and effecting corrective
action of Police Department personnel and changing procedures
that negatively affect the quality of life in the City of Philadelphia.
PROTECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT by taking appropriate action so that
misconduct of a few will not detract from the overall Reputation
of the Philadelphia Police Department.
PROTECTION OF THE EMPLOYEE against false or malicious allegations
of misconduct by ensuring fairness and accuracy in all investigations.
Complaining about the actions of a Philadelphia
Police employee:
As a citizen, you are encouraged to contact the Police Department
if you have a complaint about the actions of a police officer
or non-sworn employee if you believe their conduct was inappropriate
or that they have violated the law. The staff of the Internal
Affairs Bureau can answer questions about actions of officers,
initiate a complaint against an officer, and conduct investigations
of police conduct. Although we encourage citizens to report police
misconduct, complaints must be made in good faith. False or highly
exaggerated complaints serve no good purpose for either the citizens
or the officer and only tend to thwart our complaint-taking process.
Anyone who willfully makes any false accusation for the purpose
of discrediting a police officer may be prosecuted under Pennsylvania
Crimes Code 4906.
How to File a Complaint:
To initiate a complaint, you may contact the Internal Affairs
Division, any member of Philadelphia City Council, or any Police
District. The Internal Affairs Division is open from 8:10 A.M.
to 4:30 P.M. and may be reached by telephone at 215-685-5010,
5056, 5057 or 5058. The office is located 7790 Dungan Road, Philadelphia,
PA 19111.
You may also download
a form from this website. A Spanish
version of the form is also available. If you choose to download
the complaint form, please include as much detail as possible,
including the date, time, and location of the incident, the identities
of the officer(s) involved if known, and a statement of the circumstances
surrounding your complaint. You must also include your name and
a telephone number so an investigator may contact you if further
information or clarification is needed.
You will be asked to provide a statement of your complaint with
as much detail concerning the incident and why you believe the
officers conduct is inappropriate.
The Complaint Process:
Every citizen complaint is reviewed by the Internal Affairs Division
Commander. If the complaint is of conduct that would violate police
procedures or laws, an investigation will occur. Some complaints
are referred to the District Commander of the officer(s) involved,
who will assign a supervisory officer to investigate the complaint.
Investigators will interview the concerned parties and witnesses,
record their statements, and gather other relevant data. The completed
investigation will be forwarded to the Internal Affairs Division
Commander, who reviews the investigation, recommends corrective
action on sustained complaints, and forwards the completed investigation
to the Deputy Commissioner of Internal Affairs. When the investigation
is completed you will be notified of the disposition of the complaint.
Investigations Can Have the Following
Outcomes:
Unfounded: The investigation
indicates the acts complained of did not occur or did not involve
Philadelphia Police personnel.
Exonerated: The
investigation indicates the alleged act(s) did occur but were
within the policies, procedures and guidelines as set forth by
the Department.
Not Sustained: The investigation
failed to disclose sufficient evidence to clearly prove or disprove
the allegations made.
Sustained: The investigation
discloses sufficient evidence to clearly prove the allegation
made in the complaint.
When a complaint against an officer is sustained, the report is
sent to the Commander of the involved officer for appropriate
action. Discipline for infractions can occur in the following
manner:
• Training and/or counseling
•
Reprimand
• Suspension from duty without pay
•
Termination from the Department
• Criminal Prosecution
What happens if an allegation cannot be proven or is not true?
Police officers must be accorded certain rights, the same as with
all citizens, and complaints must be supported by sufficient evidence.
If there is not sufficient evidence to sustain the complaint,
the officer and complainant are notified of the outcome of the
investigation and the officer continues on duty. In the event
of a sustained allegation, the complainant may be required to
appear as a witness at a Police Board of Inquiry where a hearing
is held by a three member panel who will hear all evidence in
the matter and determine guilt or innocence.
| Information
listed here is believed to be current at the time of publication.
However, some of the material presented here may have expired
since it was posted. Persons should contact a Philadelphia Police
representative whenever relying on dated material or information
that is subject to change. |
|
| |
|
This page is entitled:
The URL of the page is:
Downloaded at:
|
|
|
